M. Frigione et al., Nondestructive and in-situ monitoring of mechanical property buildup in epoxy adhesives for civil applications by propagation of ultrasonic waves, POLYM ENG S, 40(3), 2000, pp. 656-664
Ultrasonic inspection for nondestructive analysis is already widely applied
to the control of structural integrity of concrete, presenting among other
advantages the reliability, the simplicity and low costs. Although ultraso
nic testing are mainly used for nondestructive evaluation of defects, it ma
y be also applied to follow the changes of mechanical properties occurring
in a material which evolves in time, such as during the crosslinking of the
rmosetting resins. These time dependent properties may be measured by longi
tudinal and shear ultrasonic velocity operating by pulse-echo and/or throug
h-transmission methods. In this work, ultrasonic wave propagation has been
applied to the monitoring of the progress of the curing reaction of an epox
y adhesive for civil applications. The data have been collected in isotherm
al conditions on the neat resin, as well as in a coupled system concrete-re
sin-concrete. The measurements of longitudinal and shear velocity have been
used for the calculation of Young and shear moduli. The change of velocity
during cure must be considered a powerful tool for the measurement of the
progress of ambient temperature cure reactions like in the case of adhesive
s for civil applications.